(Author note; I will put out 5 chapter today make 11 more chapter for Academy Life, Part 1.)
In the following weeks, life at the White Griffon Academy grew increasingly hectic. After the Lift spell, Professor Nalear introduced more advanced educational spells, each lesson growing in difficulty and restrictions to push the students to their limits.
Professor Trasque made full use of the academy's training hall, pitting the students against well-trained soldiers clad in enchanted armor and wielding different weapons for each session. Students could only use one element per scenario, which was predetermined by Trasque's carefully crafted lessons. After every defeat, the soldiers would train them in footwork and point out their mistakes.
Meanwhile, Professor Vastor's Healer lessons showcased a growing divide in skill levels. His favorites outperformed the rest of the class by such a margin that no one else dared hope to outshine them. For the others, the goal was simply not to fall too far behind.
The Forgemaster courses were primarily theoretical, with Professor Wanemyre teaching rune differentiation and elemental combinations. These lessons laid the groundwork for advanced crafting techniques.
Morgan found the Master Alchemist lessons fascinating and made frequent trips to the library. He had already copied essential texts and now spent his spare time refining his knowledge.
Private lessons with Friya, Yurial, and Quilla progressed well. Quylla's natural aptitude stood out—her rapid mastery of silent magic was remarkable. Arthur suspected she was a prodigy and observed her closely. Friya and Yurial were improving at a steadier pace, each having mastered three forms of silent magic so far.
Arthur, however, held back some secrets, such as the nuances of perfect silent magic and multicasting. He aimed to foster independence in his peers rather than make them wholly reliant on him.
A month into the private lessons, all fourth-year students were summoned to the Main Hall by Headmaster Linjos after breakfast. Professors appeared with Warp Steps, transporting everyone to their destination, leaving the students disoriented by the abrupt schedule change.
Linjos stood before the gathered students. "Good morning, everyone. I hope you enjoyed breakfast, as it will be your last proper meal for a while. Starting today, you will face a mock exam to prepare for the trimester finals.
"You'll be assigned to groups of five based on your chosen specializations—two attackers, two defenders, and one healer. Groups will be balanced according to current evaluations to ensure fairness. The exam lasts a week and takes place in the surrounding forest. Your objective is simple: survive as long as possible.
"Don't worry," Linjos added with a chuckle, "Professors will monitor and rescue you if needed. But remember, a rescue means disqualification for that individual. If only one team member remains, the group is considered wiped out."
Questions arose, and Arthur raised his hand. "Arthur from Brigadoon, speaks freely," Arthur said. "I thought about competitions?"
The Scorpicore was a monster big enough to make any sane person rethink their life choices, no matter how brave they were.
Its shoulder height reached almost three meters (9'10"). It had scarlet red fur and a mane with shades of white, black, blue, yellow, and even more subtle hues that only an interior decorator might notice. The creature's body resembled that of a lion, complete with a leonine head, membranous bat-like wings, and a scorpion's tail.
From one of its pocket dimensions, the Scorpicore retrieved a gold-rimmed pince-nez. When placed on its snout, the lenses expanded to the size of a 17-inch screen.
"Let's see where the nearest playgrounds are," it mused aloud. Thanks to the magical glasses, the Scorpicore gained an ability akin to mana sense, paired with zooming capabilities like a telescope.
"One group is near the green spring, another in the river clearing…" Despite the distance, it could pinpoint groups of five mana cores scattered across the forest, marking the students' drop zones.
"Order and chaos—these humans lack imagination. Everything's identical to the last time! Where's the fun in that?" Grumbling about mankind's lack of originality, the Scorpicore dispatched teams of three magical beasts to intercept the humans and banish them from the forest.
"Rules of engagement?" asked M'Rook, a bear-like magical beast.
"Same as always. Make a roar, growl, poop on them, whatever. Just make sure they notice you, or it'll be over before we can say 'order up.' As long as the Headmaster doesn't break the rules, we'll play along."
"The who?"
"By the Great Mother, M'Rook, you're an excellent second-in-command, but you need to pay attention to human hierarchies. The Headmaster is the boss of the castle—you know, the thing you call made-mountain."
It had nearly finished dispatching the clean-up teams when it noticed something unusual.
"Wait a minute, there's a group of six mana cores instead of five. I call dibs on that one!"
"What's a mana core?" asked Sentar, a hawk-like magical beast the size of a small plane.
"You're too young for that, Sentar. Survive another twenty years, and I'll teach you how to evolve again."
"Boss Scarlett, that makes no sense. We're already at the pinnacle, right?" Sentar tilted her head in disbelief.
"Yeah, right, and I was born a Scorpicore. No, dimwit, magical beasts are just a step. Before evolving into a Scorpicore, I was a Shyf, and before that, a cute and cuddly house cat."
Scarlett rolled onto her back, exposing her giant tummy to the sun and purring like a muscle car. The display was more disturbing than cute.
"You're joking, right?" asked M'Rook.
"Nope. And if you keep doubting me, I'll rat you out to my dragon friend who was once a lizard. I'm sure he'd enjoy having you all for dinner with a fine red wine."
The magical beasts swallowed their incredulity. Scarlett's stories often sounded absurd, yet every one of them turned out to be true.
"M'Rook, Termyn, Sentar—enough chatting. Follow my lead!" With a single flap of her wings, the Scorpicore took off. Only Sentar could follow, while M'Rook and Termyn, a boar-like magical beast, stared in frustration.
"What a jerk," they muttered in unison, watching Scarlett laugh her tail off.
Meanwhile, Arthur's group was arguing. Everyone wanted to lead, each vying to prove themselves equal to the so-called top-tier students. Arthur thought of them as caged, hungry dogs fighting over a single piece of meat. The problem was that the cage only kept them from attacking each other, offering no protection from real threats.
Every second spent yelling and arguing was like setting the table for every magical beast within earshot. Arthur had tried every diplomatic approach he could think of, but his status as a top-tier student made them dismiss his suggestions as selfish ploys to earn more points.
Sick of their childish behavior, Arthur summoned a strong gale that knocked them all to the ground.
"Listen up, idiots!" If diplomacy didn't work, perhaps brute honesty would.
"Do you see those marks on the trees?" He pointed at several claw marks nearby. "Those aren't decorations. They're territorial warnings from beasts capable of leaving claw marks the size of books. Your arguing is attracting them all!
"This is a group survival test. We're supposed to work together. If we get wiped out in the first hour, it's on you!"
Arthur's bluntness snapped them out of their stupor. They got up, muttering apologies and glancing nervously at the forest around them.
"I'm not a leader. I've always hunted solo. But in dangerous environments, survival depends on stealth. We need to find a defensible hiding spot and move before—"
A high-pitched screech cut him off as the ground beneath them trembled.
Arthur barely had time to drink the potions he'd prepared, infusing himself with fire, earth, and air fusion magic. The enhancements made him faster, stronger, and tougher, narrowing the gap between him and the magical beasts.
Before the group could react, Sentar swooped down and snatched one of the black-haired girls, carrying her into the air. The bird's talons locked her arms, rendering her unable to use magic.
"What are you doing?" Arthur shouted. "Someone has to save her!"
But the others froze in panic. Another beast, Termyn, barreled toward them like a runaway carriage. Arthur cursed under his breath.
"Fine! Stay here and get eaten. I'll handle this!" Arthur muttered as he formulated a plan. Recognizing that Termyn relied on earth and water magic, he decided to exploit its limitations.
When Termyn charged, Arthur cast a basic Float spell, making the boar weightless. The Cingy's Mountain Body spell became useless as Arthur pushed it higher and higher with subsequent spells.
"What a feisty brat! I'll save you for last!" Termyn oinked furiously as he floated away. Scarlett, watching from the bushes, chuckled.
Meanwhile, Arthur used his enhanced speed to catch up to Sentar. Combining his flight and slipstream spells, he became a blur in the air. With a calculated strike, he delivered an explosive uppercut to the bird's beak, forcing it to release its captive.
Sentar squawked in pain as Arthur caught the girl, landing safely among the trees. The others stared in stunned silence, realizing that their lives had just been saved by the very person they'd refused to listen to.